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O's rained out vs. Bucs; Tillman slated for Wednesday

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Outlook: Tillman, SP, BAL 1:01

Chris Tillman was crucial to the O's 2012 stretch run and while he has room to progress in '13, he may be dinged by a higher average against

By Brittany Ghiroli

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles have set their pitching rotation for the next few days, although things could be altered with Tuesday's rainout in Bradenton pushing starter Chris Tillman back to Wednesday.

Tillman will now start Wednesday night's home game at 7:05 p.m. ET versus the Red Sox, with Jake Arrieta still scheduled to start the 1:05 p.m. road contest against the Yankees.

Zach Britton was originally scheduled to start against the Red Sox. He could still see time in that game, with the Orioles slated to make a final decision on that later Tuesday night.

The rest of the schedule for manager Buck Showalter's club, which is pending given Tuesday's rainout, has Jair Jurrjens starting Thursday, Jason Hammel on Friday and Wei-Yin Chen pitching at Tampa on Saturday (along with Brian Matusz). Tillman is tentatively slated to make his second outing Sunday, with Miguel Gonzalez following him, and Jurrjens to go again on March 5.

Relievers Jim Johnson and Darren O'Day are slated to make their first official appearances of the season on March 6 against Team Spain at Ed Smith Stadium. Johnson and O'Day were among several Orioles who threw in a simulated game of sorts in the covered batting cages Tuesday morning. Hammel, Chen and Gonzalez also threw there, and the group -- which is being slow-played this spring -- has yet to make an official spring appearance. All of them, however, are on the schedule to do so in the upcoming days.

The only guy who isn't on that schedule is right-hander Luis Ayala. The right-hander is not scheduled to throw right now and will be brought along slowly, given that he just pitched in the Mexican Winter League. Ayala has been a little under the weather lately, but Showalter said he would have been slowed in spring, regardless, and it's not a health issue.